Hi everyone,
This article will be dedicated to discussing the thirty-eighth issue of the first Star Wars comic book series. The cover showed Luke Skywalker trying to free Princess Leia Organa from a set of strange green tentacles, while a yellow robot wielding a lightsaber prepared to attack from behind. The tale was titled "Riders in the Void!" The issue had a cover date of August 1980.
The story started somewhere in the galaxy, as Luke and Leia's ship was suddenly being attacked by a pair of Imperial TIE fighters. Luke wasn't about to let their foes distract him. He soon made the jump to lightspeed, but on that voyage, the ship started experiencing several mechanical issues.
Luke slowed the craft to sublight speed, and he and Leia soon noticed that the stars had disappeared. It appeared as though the galaxy itself had disappeared. Off in the distance, Leia spied a bright source of light. As they drew nearer, the Rebels saw something that looked very much alive.
The smaller ship was drawn into the larger mass. After confirming that the interior atmosphere was breathable, Leia and Luke exited their ship and started exploring their new surroundings. Several minutes later, they fell through the floor that they had just been standing on.
Both heroes were under attack before long. Leia fended off several alien tentacles, while Luke encountered a robot who engaged him in a saber battle. The mechanoid seemed to improve with each move, but the young Jedi soon defeated his opponent. Afterward, the ship tried to violently expel both of its new guests.
Leia and Luke struggled to save themselves and help each other. These selfless acts of bravery were recognized by whoever was in control, and the violent winds that had tried to cast them out ceased just as suddenly as they had started. A voice invited the pair into an inner chamber, where we saw a strangely garbed being who had been observing everything from his viewscreen.
The being explained that he'd seen the ravages of war long ago. It had taken many of those that he knew, and things got to a point where he'd become linked with the very vessel they were traveling in after he chose to flee conflict. It seemed that the current struggles were nothing more than amusements for him, although both of the Rebels knew that their battles were all too real.
Not long afterward, the bioship exited hyperspace right in front of an Imperial Star Destroyer. The Imperial vessel opened fire, and its opening salvo buffeted the ship, but didn't do much damage. Several TIEs were dispatched to defend the Empire's vessel, only to be taken out by bulbous anti-matter pods. The pods continued to disperse until they had eventually eliminated the Imperial threat entirely.
The ship's owner then allowed his companions to resume their travels. Their ship was repaired and could depart at any time. As the heroes boarded their craft, their host stated that their world was too real for him. They took off, watching the biovessel retreat further into the stars, perhaps to a place where its owner could continue his contentment in peace.
This was a rather unexpected, offbeat story that was published because of deadline and format issues at the time. Marvel wasn't quite ready to begin their Empire Strikes Back adaptation at the time, so this story ran in its place. It's a visually stunning book. I'm used to penciler Michael Golden's artwork from the first year of the initial Micronauts title. He doesn't stay on regular comic titles for very long, but he's definitely one of the best artists in his field. The art would only continue to improve over the next several issues.
Well, that wraps up this piece. Next time, I'll begin Marvel's six-part adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back. We'll start with the Rebel base on Hoth. Luke runs into a bit of trouble after going out on his own to investigate a meteor strike, and we'll see just how doggedly the Empire is pursuing the Rebellion. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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